Detective Conan Dystopia
by Skye Silverwing
Summary: The Black Organization is finally defeated, but at what cost? After five years of self imposed exile, Conan Kudo returns to Tokyo to reconnect with old friends, learn what is going on now, and try to piece together what really happened 5 years earlier.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people, places, or groups mentioned in this fiction.

It had been five years.  
Kudo Shifted his weight from one leg to the other as he waited for the signal to turn so he could cross the snow-packed street.  
Five Long years.

The incident had all started with that phone call.  
"Kogoro Mouri's Detective Agency, Kogoro Speaking." Mouri had said as Conan listened in, "Can I help you?"  
"Father? Father, HELP M--" Ran's voice was muffled and was replaced by a sinister voice that Conan knew all too well.  
"We have your daughter." Gin said, his vicious grin echoing through his voice. "If you want her to go on living, you will do exactly what I say. You are going to be down by the docks in warehouse 240 in two hours, no cops, no back-up."  
"YOU BASTARDS!" Kogoro shouted into the phone, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"  
Gin laughed and continued, "Oh, and bring Shinichi Kudo with you. We have some questions for him."  
He hung up.  
"HOLD ON, YOU BASTARD!" Mouri shouted and then slammed the phone down. "Where am I going to find that Detective Kid on such short notice?"  
With his cover blown and Ran's life hanging in the balance, there was no reason for Conan to hide it anymore.  
"He is far closer then you think, uncle." He said, "Come on, I will explain on the way, we need to stop by the Professor's to pick up some things, though."  
They head quickly out the door.

"So... You were that Detective Kid all along..." Mouri looked a little disoriented by the revelation, but was keeping his cool. "I suppose I knew it all along, but it was so far-fetched." His eyes hardened and he glared at the boy sitting in the seat next to him. "We will talk about this more, later, boy."  
"Would you be quiet about it already? We are almost there." Haibara said angrily. She had insisted on coming along, presumably to keep an eye on Doctor Agasa.  
"You understand that watch I gave you, right, Mouri-Kun?" Agasa had had several of the quick firing tranquilizer watches prepared, since Conan was not the only one who could use one.  
"Yeah, I get it, Professor." Mouri said.  
The breaks of the beetle squealed as the car came to a stop.

The Squealing breaks of the huge truck broke Conan out of his daze and he began to cross the street.  
Five years since then. Five years since everything had gone to Hell.  
End Part 1

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Part 2

Snow crushed under Conan's feet as he walked along the wide and empty street. The silent snow causing his mind to drift back, again, to five years prior.

"Mouri, I thought I told you to bring that ghost, Kudo." Gin said, as smoke rose from the barrel of his gun. "And why did you bring that little brat?"  
The warning shot still smoking in the bullet hole in the concrete floor, Moori and Conan dared not move toward the raised platform on which Gin stood, next to the chair holding Mouri's bound daughter.  
"I am here for Ran, you Bastard!" Mouri shouted.  
Shadows nearby stirred, proving that they were not alone.  
"Aniki, they did not come alone, either!" came Vodka's voice from behind them as he and Korn dragged Agasa and Haibara through the door at gun point.  
"What's this, Mouri?" Gin challenged, "An old man, and a little... what?"  
Gin's eyes widened and recognition dawned in them. "Sherry?" He looked at Conan again. "If that is Sherry, this kid is Kudo, then..."  
He placed the gun to Ran's head.  
BLAM!  
The world froze. Conan and Mouri Helplessly watching as Gin stood there, his gun placed against Ran's head, while a spent casing dropped to the ground. Somewhere else.  
Gin's head turned as blood spurted from his mouth and nose. "Akai... Shuichi..." He choked as he glared though a window into the next building and crumpled to the ground.  
The Area exploded into action as Conan and Mouri burst into action, Conan firing his Tranquillizer into Vodka's face while Mouri grabbed Korn and pitched him in a Judo throw.  
Agasa moved to go check on Ran. "Professor, don't move!"  
Too Late.  
BLAM! Chianti's weapon flash revealed her location as Agasa sank to the ground. Conan spun the dial on his shoe, and hit a button on his belt, producing a soccer ball, which he kicked with impossible strength. Chianti's face held a surprised look as the ball hit it and she stumbled back and hit the ground.  
"PROFESSOR!!!" Haibara's despairing cry was followed by Korn, forgotten on the ground, pulling his piece. He leveled his gun on the small girl.  
BLAM! Kir's shot was faster.  
The warehouse went silent for a moment, followed by the sound of clapping. Vermouth and a mysterious man stepped from the shadows. Vermouth smiled at Conan. "Well done, Silver-bullet-kun" she said, "We surrender, right, Boss?"

After that, everything was caught up in a flurry of action. Vermouth, the Boss and the other surviving members of the BO were quickly bundled off by arriving members of the FBI. Agasa and Ran were rushed to the hospital, where the most painful moment of Conan's life occurred.  
"Get out of here you little Bastard!" Mouri yelled, "It is all your fault! It is YOUR fault Ran's..."

Conan never heard what happened to Ran. Kogoro and Eri slammed him with a restraining order barring him from coming near her.  
Sadly, professor Agasa's wounds had proven fatal, and, lacking a Guardian, Haibara had been given no option but to be placed in the custody of Jodie, who, with her mission completed, had to leave Japan.  
The revelation of Black Organization Operatives in Japan had resulted in numerous arrests of high-ranking officials and resignations of many more. In order to save face, the Japanese government declared the whole incident confidential and ordered all involved to silence.  
One piece of information that Conan was able to get from the Boss of the BO was the bad news that there was no cure for the poison that had shrunk him in the first place. Conan's parents, finding his resistance to their request gone, took him with them overseas as "Conan Kudo" since Shinichi was dead.

Kudo arrived at last at his destination, his old house. Five years it had been since the last time he had been here. Five years since he had lost himself.

End part 2.

---------------------


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Conan sat at the large desk in the room lined with books.  
He was writing in a ledger as his father had told him, trying to let the numbers involved in maintaining their lives in America consume and distract from the things he did not want to do, but needed to.  
Conan glanced out the window and saw something. Something he did not want to see.  
No. He did not want to deal with them now.  
He winced as he saw that he had left the gate open, and knew that they would not hesitate. He backed from the window and sought a place to conceal himself.

"Look!" Ayumi pointed at the open gate. "Isn't that Shinichi Kudo's house?"  
"Yes, and the gate is open..." Mitsuhiko responded, "Strange, that Gate is never open..."  
"Maybe they just forgot to lock it..." Genta guessed.  
"Maybe... Maybe its a burglary!" Ayumi ventured.  
Mitsuhiko was looking at the footprints in the snow.  
"Foot prints leading in, but not out." He announced, "That means that whoever it is, they are still in there."  
"Okay then, lets go get him." said Genta.  
Mitsuhiko grinned. He had seen the pattern on the soles of those shoes before.  
Finally. Finally they would get the answers they had waited five years for.  
All three raised one fist and yelled, "Shonen Tantei, go! OUI!"

Mitsuhiko, Ayumi and Genta moved quickly through the house, opening cabinets and searching for some sign of the intruder they knew was here. Room bye room, their search was exhaustive, and thorough. They followed footprints in the settled dust until they disappeared beneath a large chandelier. A discarded ladder leaned against the far wall.  
Ayumi found a clue. "Mitsuhiko-kun! Genta-kun! I found something! Its-"  
"A bow tie, right?" Mitsuhiko answered.  
Ayumi looked at him in astonishment. "How did you know?"  
"The footprints." he replied, "The only shoes I have ever seen that match that size and shape were those that the Professor created for _him_."  
Ayumi's eyes widened. "So Conan-kun is here?"  
"Yes. He is most likely hiding from us."  
"Then lets find him." said Genta, "Even if it is him, breaking and entering is a crime."  
"No, Genta," Mitsuhiko replied, "he is not breaking and entering. This is his house."  
Genta was confused. "Eh? But how is that? This is Kudo's house."  
"I started to suspect that something strange was going on last year when Chief Megure and Inspector Takagi let us have access to the Hall of Records to do research for that one case." Mitsuhiko began, "I took a few moments to look up the information that existed on his disappearance. To my surprise, I found that the earliest record of Conan Edogawa was when he assisted Detective Mouri in some kidnapping case just before we met him. No birth certificate, no doctor's appointments, nothing, so I looked up disappearances around that time, and realized that there was no mention of Shinichi Kudo after that point, and all of the interaction he is known to have done either occurred while Conan was missing, or can be explained by Kaito Kid or the guy from Osaka in disguise."  
"Wait a minute," Genta challenged, "what are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that Conan killed Kudo?"  
"No," Mitsuhiko said with a grin, "I am trying to say that Conan Edogawa IS Shinichi Kudo."  
"Eh?" both of them were stunned. "How is that possible?"  
"My guess," Mitsuhiko continued, "is that Kudo got himself involved in something a lot bigger then he expected, and had to find a way to hide in order to preserve his own life. Perhaps the Professor found some way to make him younger, providing him with the perfect cover. It may sound a little far-fetched but with Conan's vast knowledge, maturity, deduction skill, and interest in Ran-san, it all makes sense."  
"Wow, but why would he have lied to us all that time and then just left like that, before the Professor's funeral?" Ayumi asked.  
Mitsuhiko opened a nearby closet door and smiled. "I would guess that for us to learn what was really going on would have put us in danger from the people he was hiding from. As for why he left..." He slammed the closet door shut and was rewarded with a soft thud from the other side. "we will have to ask him. Ne, Conan-kun?" He opened the door again to reveal a fallen bunch of books.  
"Seems that way." Conan said from behind them.

End Part 3

-----------------------


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Part 4

Conan smiled sheepishly at his old friends.  
Time had changed them all in some ways.  
Mitsuhiko had grown considerably taller and now could be called Lanky, but he had a sharpness in his eyes that bespoke of keen intellect.  
Genta's height had increased as well, and he had formed a layer of sturdy muscle beneath the familiar layer of fat, showing new strength and will.  
Ayumi had grown up in more ways then could be counted, her body had acquired many of the aspects of a grown adult while still maintaining her childishly innocent aura. Overall, she had become more beautiful then Conan could have possibly expected.  
"Conan-kun..." Ayumi said, with tears in her eyes and a soft, quavering voice. She moved slowly toward him, one step at a time, a look on her face speaking of long endured pain and loneliness.  
As she reached him, he pried his eyes from hers long enough to see Genta and Mitsuhiko flinch. When his eyes met hers again, he saw white-hot rage and pure steel.  
Then he saw stars.  
The floor spun upward to meet him, and he could make no attempt to catch himself. He stared at the hard wood for a moment before all vision left him.

Genta carried Conan's unconscious form into a nearby bedroom while Mitsuhiko tried to console Ayumi, who had dissolved into tears.  
Genta had only seen Ayumi's infamous right hook once before, when Takuma Sakamoto had brazenly declared that Conan had abandoned her because he had found a better girl somewhere else. No one ever spoke badly of Conan in Ayumi's presence again.  
As Genta put Conan on the bed, the boy stirred, and Genta took a moment to take stock of the former leader of Shonen Tantei.  
Conan seemed to where the glasses out of habit more then anything. He had grown taller, as all of them had, but through the button-up shirt, Genta had been able to feel strong muscle that must have been the result of years of physical training. That Conan could move this soon after the blow that had laid Takuma out for a day and a half proved that. It also seemed that time had only made Conan's intellect keener. It had been years since Genta had seen anyone out fox Mitsuhiko like that. Not since Kaito Kid.  
Conan's eyes fluttered open, and he began to sit up.  
"Hold on, Conan," Genta said, gently pushing him back down, "You may be tough, but there is no way you can recover from a shot like that that quick."  
Conan chuckled softly. "What hit me..." he whispered, "A Semi-truck?"  
Genta chortled. "Nope, just the right hook Ayumi saves for real idiots."  
Conan rubbed his cheek and groaned. "I suppose I had it coming."  
Genta suddenly got serious. "She waited for you, you know."  
Conan looked at him, confused.  
"She told both Mitsuhiko and I that she was yours and only yours." Genta continued, "She never lost faith that you would eventually come back, even though you never called or wrote."  
"Genta, I..."  
Conan's words were cut off as the door opened and Mitsuhiko came in. A look of surprise came over the young man's face when he saws Conan awake.  
Genta rose and approached him.  
"How's she doing?" he asked.  
"Not so well," Mitsuhiko replied, "It is as if all the pain she was carrying inside since Conan left just boiled over when she saw him again. I can't get close to her, and she won't stop crying."  
Conan pushed himself up and slowly stood, his legs shaking with the effort.  
"Perhaps I can calm her down." he declared, as he tried to take a step and stumbled.  
Genta rushed to his side and caught him, then nodded, and supported him as he began to walk back into the other room.  
Ayumi was still there, sobbing so hard her breath came in gasps. She glanced up when she heard them come in, her eyes widening when she saw Conan.  
"OH! CONAN-KUN!!!!" She howled between sobs, "I am so sorry, I didn't mean it, please forgive me!"  
As Genta helped Conan into a nearby chair, Ayumi lunged to him, grappling his leg and continued to sob.  
Conan gently stroked the back of her head and spoke softly to her as Genta and Mitsuhiko quietly left them alone.  
"It's ok, Ayumi-chan," he whispered, "I know you did not mean it, no matter how much I deserved it."  
Ayumi did not say a word, but looked up into his eyes and then kissed him.  
It was a soft, gentle kiss that filled him with warmth he had not felt since the night he had lost Ran.  
At last Conan felt whole.

End Part 4

-------------------------


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings

Part 5

Conan gently held Ayumi in his arms.  
Her tears had ebbed and she kept her head on his shoulder, comforted by the fact that she could let herself be weak and know he would not harm her. After a time, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.  
"Why did you do it, Conan? Why did you leave us?" she asked, her eyes quavering.  
Conan knew this question was coming, and sighed.  
"It was because I was hurt. Not physically, but in here," he said, indicating his heart. "Kogoro and Eri would not let me near Ran, and I could learn nothing of her condition or see her after... something happened."  
"You mean when you fought the ones that killed the Professor." Ayumi said, with some certainty.  
"How did you know?" Conan asked. In the cover-up, the professor's death had been declared a "falling accident".  
"Chief Megure was told to call it an accident and let it go," Ayumi answered, "but we knew the Professor had been shot."  
"It corresponded with the time you and Haibara disappeared," Mitsuhiko said, entering the room again, "and when we ran into that one guy..."  
"What guy?" Conan asked, suddenly very concerned.  
"Well..." Mitsuhiko began a story that would clarify a great deal.

"Hurry up, Genta-kun," Ayumi called back to him as she and Mitsuhiko slowed down to let the larger boy catch up, "you are going to make us late for studying at the Professor's house. Haibara said to be there at noon."  
They rounded the next bend and saw the Professor's Yellow Beetle driving away.  
"Huh?" Mitsuhiko said, "wasn't the Professor supposed to be home during our study session?"  
"Maybe he had something come up." said Genta, "Adults have that kind of thing happen all the time."  
"Well," said Mitsuhiko, "Let's not keep Haibara waiting."  
They reached the door, and rang the doorbell. Nothing happened. Again. Nothing. A third time.  
"Haibara-san!" Mitsuhiko called, "Let us in!"  
Still nothing.  
The ruckus caused a stir next door, at Kudo's place. A young man came out.  
"Oi," he called, "Is something wrong?"  
"Not really," Mitsuhiko responded, "We just had an appointment with the Professor and Haibara and it seems that they left in a hurry."  
"Is that so?" the young man said, walking over. "Where do you think they went?"  
"We don't know." Ayumi said.  
"Ah!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed, digging in his pocket, "I have that prototype the Professor gave me!"  
He produced the "S.T.O.P. Com"(Shonen Tantei Operational Personal Computer) and activated the location function.  
"There we go." Mitsuhiko said, "Huh? It is showing the Professor, Haibara, and Conan, all moving toward the docks."  
The man's eyes narrowed.  
"Can I borrow that?" he asked, indicating the STOP Com. "I think I need to catch up with the Professor."  
Mitsuhiko covered the device protectively, "and just who are you, anyway?"  
The man grinned. "I am Okiya Subaru, a grad student working with the professor." he said, "I need to catch up with the Professor to talk about his research."  
Appeased, Mitsuhiko handed over the device, and Subaru got on a motorcycle and sped off.  
With nothing more to do, the three kids decided to go for a bit of a walk, until, several minutes later, an urgent call came over their Detective Badges from the STOP Com:  
"Emergency! Call an ambulance! The Professor has been Shot!"

"We never saw that Subaru guy again." Mitsuhiko finished.  
Conan Smiled. Another piece of the puzzle had clicked into place. He had often wondered how the Medics had arrived as quickly as they had on that day.  
"So... What were you guys doing in this area, anyway?" Conan asked.  
"Ah!?" Ayumi cried. "I forgot all about our training session with Makoto-sensei! Sonoko-nichan will be so angry at us!"  
Conan arched an eyebrow.  
"Training?" Conan asked, "What kind of training?"  
"Makoto-sensei has been teaching us to defend ourselves," Genta explained as they all headed out, "since we haven't been able to rely on you kicking a ball to knock out the criminals we face."  
Conan blushed. He still liked kicking a soccer ball to disable a villain, but he had improved his skills since they last met. He kind of wished for a chance to showcase them.  
As if on cue, immediately ahead of them, a burglary alarm went off. Someone was robbing a jewelry store.  
A group of four culprits charged out of the building and found themselves surrounded by middle school students in fighting stances. They charged forward, brandishing knives, and lead pipes, hoping these brats would not slow their escape.  
Ayumi performed a harsh roundhouse, Genta dodged a blade and performed a Judo throw, and Mitsuhiko blocked a pipe and countered with a series of quick strikes to the face. Conan smiled. He pressed the switch installed in his shoe, activating the muscle assisting effect, then, instead of kicking forward, he kicked down, catapulting himself high into the air. He did a flying somersault before planting both feet in the culprit's face.  
The four perpetrators fell in a heap.  
"Wow, Conan that was amazing!" Ayumi exclaimed, then looked at her watch, "Ah!? But it made us even more late!"  
"Quick Genta," said Mitsuhiko, help me tie these guys up and we will leave our calling card so that the police know it was us!"  
Minutes later they entered a large gymnasium in a local exercise club.  
"Hey, hey, You guys are SO late!" Sonoko yelled as they entered. "Makoto's time is precious and...EH!? Glasses kid?"  
Sonoko ran over and looked him up and down. "What are you doing back?"  
Conan was not looking at Sonoko. In the middle of the Room at that moment was a young girl sparring with Makoto. Though she looked no older then 12, Conan could never have forgotten that face.  
"Ran."

End Part Five

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Part 6

Conan stared across the room as the young girl from his youth, the girl he had grown up with and cared for all along, spun and blocked and dodged with skill that belied her body's age.  
How was this possible? He thought, as the memories came back.  
Gin's Eyes widened and recognition dawned in them. "What? Sherry?" He looked at Conan again, "If that is Sherry, then this is Kudo, then..." he turned and put his gun to Ran's head.  
Conan gasped. Gin must have realized that the poison might not kill Ran at that moment.  
Suddenly, Sonoko was pushing him out into the hall.  
He tried to protest, but she covered his mouth and dragged him out, quickly followed by the other kids.  
"You can't be here." Sonoko told him, "If Ran sees you, it will ruin five years worth of getting over your disappearance."  
Conan glared at her. "But, I know what she is going through." he said, "And it was my fault."  
"No you don't." Sonoko countered, "You never did. And it was always your fault. So get out of here."  
Conan's shoulders slumped. Sonoko was right. It WAS all his fault. He never HAD known what she was going through.  
His will crushed, Conan dragged his feet as he made his way out of the building.  
His friends moved to follow, but Sonoko blocked their path.  
"You all have Karate class to get to." she said in a voice that showed how much she hated what she had just done, "Your parents did not pay for you to skip out." She turned toward the exit, and said over her shoulder, "And no telling Rina that Conan is back, you know how her mother feels about him."  
The kids nodded sadly.  
Sonoko turned to catch up with Conan.

Rina Danced back and forth. Makoto had her beat in both size and strength, so she had to rely on her reflexes and speed to keep her in this fight. He was holding back a bit, but so was she.  
She had a clear enough head to notice Sonoko leaving, but was not free to see why. She was further concerned when she saw the faces of her friends, frowning as they filed in.  
Then she was on the ground.  
"Focus, Rina!" Makoto said, standing over her and offering a hand up, "You got distracted!"  
Rina nodded and accepted the hand, getting to her feet and moving to investigate what the young detectives were up to now.  
"Hello, Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun," she said with a genuine smile, "how are you all today?"  
They all mumbled a response, but did not meet her gaze.  
Great, she thought, something is wrong and it has to do with me.  
"I thought I saw Sonoko-nichan leave." It had taken almost as long for her to get used to calling Sonoko "nichan" as it had to get used to her own new name. "Where did she go?"  
This drew nervous shifting and glancing around, and mutters of not knowing.  
Wonderful... Rina thought, Sonoko left to deal with the problem concerning me.  
Rina steeled herself. She would find out. She would just have to wait for the right moment.

Sonoko caught Conan within a short distance.  
"Oi!" She called, "Detective Brat! Hold up a second!"  
Conan stopped and looked at her, the sorrow in his eyes showing.  
"Listen," she said, "It is not that she does not want to see you, it is just that... She is not Ran anymore, and she has worked for years to get that way. Her parents Renamed her Rina after she got... Shrunk... and she had finally begun to think of herself that way. It was always her father's fear that if she saw you again, you would endanger her. When he died, her mother determined that you and Rina should remain unaware of each other."  
"Uncle Kogoro... died?" Conan was shocked.  
Sonoko sighed. "He always blamed himself for what happened to Ran," she said, a reminiscent look coming into her eyes, "and it soon became apparent that his infamous detective skills where not his own." She looked at him sideways. "And nor were mine."  
Conan spared her an apologetic grin, and she continued.  
"Unable to get any work, the old man just sank deeper and deeper into the bottle, until it finally killed him." Sonoko sighed, "Eri took it really hard, and of course, blamed it all on you. I think she blamed herself too, but she decided that you were the last thing that Rina needed now, and so she said that if you ever returned, You must be kept apart."  
Conan started to say something, but was cut off by the sound of sirens in the distance.  
Sonoko smiled. "You know, because of you, I actually became interested in crime fighting," she said, and pulled out a badge, "I actually joined the police force."  
Conan was surprised. "So..." he asked, "is it 'Officer Suzuki' now?"  
Sonoko grinned and waved a finger at him. "Only when I am working." she said, "Otherwise, all your friends just call me Sonoko-nichan."  
She gave him a wink. "You should see me in uniform. Sleek and sexy." She laughed.  
Oi, oi... Conan thought, looks like Sonoko has not changed a bit. He smiled ruefully.  
"So," Sonoko said, with an impish bob of her head, indicating the direction of the sirens, "You want to go check it out?"  
Conan nodded seriously, then paused a moment, realizing that he had not really changed that much either.

End Part 6


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings

Part 7

Inspector Wataru Takagi barked orders as assorted policemen rushed around, processing the crime scene.  
He had not asked for this, filling Megure's shoes when the older cop had been promoted to Chief of Police, but he knew Miwako's influence when he saw it. She seemed to be masterful at making things happen at the station, though she had resigned as a cost of marrying him.  
He looked at the dying message again. He knew it was a dying message, these two strawberries with the English letters "M R" next to it in blood, written by the victim before his wounds had proven fatal. Takagi believed It to indicate the name of the criminal.  
The suspects, the victim's Roommate, Mitch Harding, a baseball player, #33 for a local team, and Jen Reno, a stripper and girlfriend to the deceased, who had discovered the body. Both claimed the alibi that they had been together at the time of death, but on closer scrutiny, it had been revealed that, at the time of death, Mrs. Reno had excused herself for more then half an hour, breaking the alibi for both of them.  
As Takagi considered what was going on, a clamor raised at the perimeter of the scene.  
What know? he thought, turning and heading toward the disruption.  
Somehow, Takagi was not surprised to see Sonoko Suzuki surrounded, as usual, by male officers. It seemed that the young girl had taken Miwako's place as the most desired woman on the force, though god help any man that touched her.  
Takagi was about to ask what was going on when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Off to one side, a young teen grinned at him and met his eyes coolly.  
"Eh!?" Takagi said, "Conan-kun?"  
The boy smiled. "How have you been, Inspector Takagi?" Conan said, emphasizing the new title, "It has been some time."

Twenty minutes later, Conan stood in front of the suspects as well as Takagi, Sonoko and a few other officers.  
"Obviously," the teen said, "the victim gave an indication of who killed him through his dying message."  
"Who is this brat?" asked Mitch Harding, "and why is he telling us what to do?"  
Conan was unfazed. "After having inspected the scene," he said, "I know who did it."  
He walked several paces, turned and pointed.  
"IT WAS YOU!"  
Harding flinched, then regained his composure instantly. "How did you come to that answer?" he said with a chuckle, "I am told that the 'dying message' is just a couple strawberries."  
Conan smiled confidently. "Two strawberries and the English letters M and R." he answered, "'Mr.' is similar to the Japanese '-san', so it can be as 'Ni ichigo-san' or 'ichigo ichigo san' 1, 5, and 1, 5, and 3 which can be read as 15+15+3, or 33."  
Harding looked stunned for a moment, then smiled. "You just came up with that." he said, "Where is your proof?"  
"You want proof?" Conan said with a cheeky grin, "How about this?"  
He pulled out a plastic bag containing a blood spattered shirt, another containing a bloody knife, and another with hairs matching Harding.  
Harding's terrified look was all he needed  
"I guess you should have hidden them better." Conan said with a chuckle.  
Harding suddenly roared and knocked over one of the policemen guarding him and tried to flee. His flight was brought to an abrupt halt by the woman who had just arrived. Miwako Takagi, formerly Miwako Sato, caught the fool's arm and threw him down, where other officers quickly had him pinned.  
Miwako walked directly to the young detective.  
"Conan."  
She placed both hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.  
"That is for all you did for Wataru-chan and I."  
Then she slapped him.  
"That is for skipping the wedding."  
She grinned and gave him a hug.  
Behind them Chief Megure cleared his voice.  
"Oh, Chief," Takagi said, "you made it here too."  
I see, thought Conan, Takagi was off making some calls while I was finding the evidence.  
I wonder who else he called...

Rina was holding back a lot. Ayumi was not as experienced as Makoto, and was considerably smaller, so Rina had to be careful, as she did not want to hurt her friend. To make things worse, the young girl was distracted, thinking about something.  
"Why won't you tell me what is wrong, Ayumi-chan?" She asked.  
Ayumi sighed, trying not to give anything away.  
Rina caught the young girl by the arm and flipped her over, landing her back on her feet.  
She did not understand it. Ayumi had never hidden anything from her before.  
Something was terribly wrong, and Rina had to get to the bottom of it.

"So now I run the whole show." Megure said.  
"And Wataru wound up running the Department," Miwako said with a pat on her husband's shoulder as they sat sipping coffee in Megure's new office.  
"You should have gotten the promotion instead of me, Miwako," Takagi said, "you were always the better cop."  
"No, dear You were always the one who saw all the facts, and besides," she said, indicating a slight swelling in her belly, "this happened."  
Conan grinned. He was glad Sato and Takagi had managed to get it together. They still reminded him of himself and Ran, before circumstances had gone out of control.  
Sonoko was sipping her coffee and thinking. This was going to get back to Rina eventually. There was no way to stop it. She did not want to see her old friend mad at her, but then, Eri was a scary woman.  
She stood and gave him a level look.  
"You probably need to be getting back over to your place, kid," she said, "and I need to get back to the gym before the kid's class is over so I can take them home. How about I run you home on the way?"  
Conan nodded. He still needed to run the numbers on the accounts.  
They bid the police their thanks and headed out the door to Sonoko's car.  
As they got in and prepared to leave, a Dark figure observed from the shadows of a nearby alley.  
A smile spread across the mysterious figure's face as it pulled out a cell phone.

Something wasn't right.  
Conan knew he had closed the gate before he left, and now it stood wide open. Someone must be here.  
Not sure what to expect, he prepared an old standby, the stun gun wrist watch. He passed through the front door, searching the shadows with the flashlight on his watch even as he kept his weapon ready. He moved into the Den, shining his light along the rows of shelves and the desk. No one. As he walked back out into the Hall, though, he detected movement on the second floor. He moved to the base of the stairs and was greeted by the low, rolling click of a pistol hammer being drawn back inches from his left ear.  
Conan froze, the cold steel of the gun barrel brushing against his ear.  
Another click, this time the light switch.  
The Room lit up and Conan turned to see his attacker.  
He only caught a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair as Haibara wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard.

End Part 7

------------------------


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Part 8

Conan was stunned.  
As Haibara's Lips pressed hard against his, it was a different sensation from the earlier kiss with Ayumi. Where Ayumi's Kiss had been soft, sweet, gentle, and innocent, Haibara's was strong, passionate, and almost hungry.  
She wrapped her arms around him pulled him as tightly to her as she could, before pulling back and looking him in the eyes.  
"Long time, no see, Kudo." She said.  
Then she slapped him.  
"That is for five years without so much as a 'Hey'."  
Conan cocked his head. "I did not have your phone number or address..." He started.  
Haibara glared at him. "Ever heard of Facebook? Or Myspace, maybe?"  
Conan laughed nervously.  
"Sorry, Haibara-san," he said, "I have never been into sites like that... I have always preferred a good book."  
Haibara sighed and let it go, then realized that she was still holding her gun, so she put it away.  
Conan raised an eyebrow and she grinned.  
"Jodie-san got me a position in the FBI." She said.  
Conan could not hide his surprise.

A short while earlier....  
Jodie stood outside the police station.  
Takagi's message was not specific, but he said someone the FBI was interested in had arrived.  
She stood in a dark alley and observed two people exiting the police station. Sonoko was leading Conan to the car.  
Jodie smiled. Ai-chan would want to know about this. She picked up her phone and dialed her adopted daughter's number.  
"What's up, Jodie-san?" came the immediate response.  
"Ai-chan, you will never guess who I just saw." Jodie said.  
Haibara was on her way to the Kudo place before she finished talking.

Rina was frustrated.  
Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko were still being tight-lipped about whatever was bothering them, and the training class was coming to an end. Try as she might, she could not convince, through pain or pleading, any of her friends to spill the beans.  
"Sorry Rina-chan," was all Mitsuhiko would say, "but we promised we wouldn't say anything."  
There was still one weak link, though.  
As the class released, Sonoko came back.  
"SONOKO!" Rina demanded with a frightening glare. "What the HELL is going on?"  
"W-What c-could you possibly be t-talking about..." Sonoko stammered for a moment before finally breaking under the ferocity of Rina's glare. "It was CONAN-KUN! That Detective Freak Is Back!!!"  
The younger kids sweat dropped and sighed.  
"Awwee," said Ayumi, "after all we went through to keep it a secret..."  
Ran's eyes went blank with shock for a moment. "C-conan-kun...?" she whispered, "Shinichi?"  
Clouds gathering outside began to flash with lightning as Rina's Eyes Darkened, filling with a look of pure, absolute rage.  
"Oi, oi," Mokoto said, walking up, "Rina, you need to calm- Woah!"  
Only Mokoto's finely honed reflexes saved him from the fate of the wall behind him as Rina's kick destroyed it.  
"I'LL KILL HIM!" Rina Shouted, punctuated by a flash of lightning as she charged out into the storm.  
The young detectives looked at each other for a moment, and with both adults incapacitated by shock, they knew it was up to them.  
"Shonen Tantei. Oi!"  
They had to get to him first.

Eri Kisaki, the Famous Lawyer had just made it home as the storm hit. The torrents of rain pelted her Umbrella as she walked into her condo and set the keys to her car on the table. She hit a button on her answering machine as she walked past it. She was just about to turn on the television when the message played.  
"This is Inspector Takagi. I am calling about that favor you asked of me. Conan-kun has returned."  
Eri grabbed her keys and ran for the car.  
End Part 8


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Conan studied the Girl sitting in the chair opposite him.  
Haibara's permed, Strawberry blonde hair and slightly superior looking smirk had not changed in five years, but her body had grown, acquiring a kind of lithe, feline grace. She wore a gray tank top under a white button-up shirt, as well as a black mini skirt and knee-high boots that drew attention to her exposed upper thigh.  
As his eyes traced the lines of her body, she smiled and pointed the gun at him again.  
"Quit Ogling me, you pervert." she said, a look on her face indicating that she was enjoying being looked at like that.  
Conan coughed nervously and apologized.  
Haibara sighed. "So you decided to keep the first name of Conan and the last name of Kudo?" She asked, "Why not keep one whole name or the other?"  
Conan shrugged.  
"Because as far as I could tell, Shinichi was dead, and Edogawa was not my family name." he responded, "Why did you opt to stay Ai Haibara instead of going back to your birth name, or even taking on the name of your adoptive family?"  
Haibara frowned.  
"Because Shiho Miyano died the day I took the poison, and 'Ai Starling' or even 'Ai Shuichi' just don't sound right." She stopped, noticing his reaction to her adoptive father's name. "Yes, Akai and Jodie got together and adopted me. No, he was not dead, and yes he is the one who shot Gin."  
Conan face faulted.

Shonen Tantei shot along the streets at a mad pace, each quietly reminding themselves to visit the Professor's grave later to thank him again for the rocket-powered in-line skates. They had not seen Ran on their way, so they guessed that he may not have known where to go to locate Conan immediately. They had to get too him before she did, lest he be subject to more punishment then he could take (she had just destroyed a wall, after all).  
Ayumi squinted against the blinding rain as she and the boys navigated the route. They had to warn him. They just HAD too. She had not even had the chance to tell him she wanted to be his girlfriend, yet.

Eri's car slid to a halt again.  
Damn! She thought, it is like every light is trying to stop me from getting there! As well as these cars around me going too slow! I will not let that Brat hurt my daughter again. I will talk to him and tell him to leave and Rina will never know he was here. I have to get there quickly or he may find some way to contact her.  
Eri had thrown away all of Kudo's letters to and about Ran, and gotten all international calls and mails to her phone blocked. She could not have him reminding her of who she was before, after all. Now he was here, surely planning to take her daughter away, just like he had taken her husband.  
Eri would never allow it. Not now, not ever.

Rina was Freerunning.  
Loosing little or no momentum, she carved a route straight for the Kudo household, jumping over fences, running along roof tops and leaping from one building to the next. The Rain was of no consequence, the distance was of no consequence, and her size was of no consequence. Nothing mattered but getting where she was going as quickly as humanly possible.  
If anyone on the ground had been looking up, they would have seen a girl "flying" along the roof tops.  
Rina's Rage had a reason.  
Five years without a letter. Five years without a call or mail. Conan/shinichi never came to see her in the hospital and he never contacted her after. He had shunned her for FIVE YEARS and now he was just back? Rina had every intention of shoving those Five years down the Detective's throat.

"So you are saying that Ran is shrunk now, too?" Haibara seemed incredulous. "Well, I am not sure if I should be happy or angry that my poison is 0 for 3 in killing people I care about..."  
Conan gave a dry chuckle. "Yeah... huh?" Conan stopped and looked at Ai, "People you care about?"  
She smiled, stood and walked over to him. She was stopped just short of kissing him again when there was a loud pounding on the Front Door.  
Conan excused himself and went to the door. He opened it to admit three badly soaked kids.  
"Conan-kun," Ayumi Panted, "It's Rina! She is really mad, and-" She Stopped, her eyes widening.  
"Ai-chan?" The two former best friends looked at each other, and Ai smiled.  
Ayumi's eyes glanced back to Conan and then to Ai's clothes and back to Conan, who was looking nervously between the two girls.  
Lightning flashed.  
"AI-CHAN, YOU BITCH!" Her task forgotten, Ayumi lunged at the would-be boyfriend stealer and tackled her to the ground as the three boys looked on in dumbfounded horror.  
The fight raged for only a few moments until Conan, recovering from the shock, tranquillized both of them.  
Mitsuhiko and Genta took the girls into the room Conan had just left and were looking very concerned.  
"So, why did you guys come here, anyway?" Conan asked, collecting a bit of rope from a nearby storage closet, just in case Ayumi woke up and went ballistic again.  
The boys looked at each other in surprise, realizing that they had almost forgotten.  
"Rina-chan-" Mitsuhiko began, but was cut off.  
As if on cue, the Front door of the House shattered, exploding inward.  
"SHI-NI-CHI!!!!!!!!!!!" Rina Roared, stepping over the door's remains.

End Part 9

-------------------------------  
Cliff Hangers. Love-em. Feel free to review, rate, comment, make suggestions as to what else you think should happen, whatever.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don' Own these Characters or Settings

A loud crash could be heard, followed by a cry of rage.  
Conan crouched in the darkness, eyes riveted to the trapdoor above him as Rina, in the study above, crashed around venting her rage on the innocent furnishings.  
He nodded to Genta and Mitsuhiko, indicating that, for the moment it was safe to move on down the tunnel with the two sleeping Girls they were carrying.  
At the far end of the tunnel was a door. Conan entered a code on the keypad, unlocking it as Haibara began to stir.  
"Unngh..." she mumbled groggily, "Kudo-kun, did you really have to tranc me, too?" She looked around.  
"Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun, it has been a while..." she said, then looked at Ayumi, "What made her go ballistic on me like that?"  
Mitsuhiko glared at her accusingly.  
"You were stealing her boyfriend. What did you think would happen?" he said.  
Ai looked quizzically at Conan.  
"A bit young for you, isn't she, Kudo?" she said with a smile, "Though I suppose ten years does not look like much when you look the same age..."  
"You knew that Conan was older?" Mitsuhiko asked in surprise.  
"Knew about it?" She cooed, "I developed the chemical that did it to him. And myself as well."  
The boy took a step back, suddenly seeing his childhood love in a new light.  
"You... You mean..."  
Another crash echoed from back the way they came.  
"This is neither the time, nor the place to get into this." Conan interrupted, "for now, lets go."  
"What's going on, anyway?" Haibara asked as they moved through the door behind Genta, who carried the still unconscious Ayumi.  
"That's what I want to know." Mitsuhiko said, "Conan, what the HELL did you do to Rina? I was certain that you two had never met before, Yet when Sonoko broke down and told her you were here, she flipped out!"  
Conan sighed. No getting around it.  
"Rina is Ran. When she got kidnapped five years ago, Gin, one of the kidnappers, dosed her with the same stuff that shrunk me." The others gasped at the revelation as Conan continued, "My guess is that she figured out my identity after that and is probably after me because she is angry about all the lies as well as five years of no contact."  
Haibara chuckled, at Mitsuhiko's curious stare, she smiled.  
"I developed the drug to be a poison, and I think it is funny that it has consistently failed to kill those I care about." She said.  
Conan looked back as they reached a second door.  
"Ayumi-san, how long have you been awake?" He asked.  
Ayumi squirmed to get her feet on the ground.  
"Since a just before Ai-chan said she made the stuff that shrunk you two..." she said, "I am sorry for attacking you like that, Ai-chan... it is just that I just got Conan back after all this time, and the idea of loosing him, even to you, made me crazy. Can you forgive me?"  
Genta Piped up, "At least it wasn't the right hook she gave Conan when she first saw HIM."  
Ayumi blushed and Ai smiled.  
"I forgive you, Ayumi-chan." she said and kissed the other girl right on the lips.  
Genta and Mitsuhiko fainted.

Eri rushed up the steps to the destroyed door of the Kudo house, with Sonoko and Makoto on her heals.  
They called out for Rina, searching rooms quickly. The teen Karate Master had torn through the house like a hurricane, leaving Shattered doors, broken glass, busted chairs and tables littering every room.  
They found her, exhausted, in Shinichi's old bedroom, sobbing and shaking and punching weakly at the hard wood floor.  
"Rina." Eri said softly.  
Rina leaned back her head and screamed a mournful Scream and collapsed into a sobbing heap.  
Eri gathered up her daughter and carried her out of the house.  
I need to call Yukiko and Yusaku. She thought. Maybe they can get their son to stop digging up old bones.

Down the street, through the rain and wind, two people watched the scene from the back of a motorcycle. The driver grinned revved the engine. Feeling his companion's arms tighten around his waist, he gunned the engine, heading north.  
Just you wait, Kudo. He thought. We will catch you yet.

End part 10


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

Conan struggled a bit under the dead weight of the unconscious Genta's body, while the girls carried Mitsuhiko between them.

Ai shifted nervously under the boys glare. "Don't look at me like that." She said, "How was I supposed to know they would both feint like that? It was only a kiss."

Ayumi glanced at Ai's face for a moment before blushing and looking away.

Conan rolled his eyes. "They have not been spending time in America." He said, "In spite of what anime would have us believe, Japan is more traditional and repressed in some ways then the United States."

Haibara let the conversation drop as they reached their destination.

Ayumi looked cautiously at the flight of stairs, ascending into the darkness. "Where are we?" She asked.

Conan smiled. "This is an emergency escape tunnel that Professor Agasa and my parents had built in secret years ago, just in case the Black organization ever caught on to Haibara's presence or mine during one of the times I was home." Conan explained, "It leads to a place they called Site B, a warehouse the Professor owned a dozen blocks from our houses."

The darkness and silence of the warehouse beckoned invitingly to the slightly freaked out kids. Dozens of boxes and racks loomed in the shadows, loaded with skateboards, shoes, watches and other gear that they were all familiar with as well as much that they were not.

Conan chuckled. "I always wondered where he kept all of this stuff." He said.

He was about to go on, when the sound of a motorcycle approaching began to echo through the building. They waited for it to fade, but, to their dismay, it died immediately outside.

They scattered into the shadows, seeming to melt into the darkness, as a shadow approached the door, silhouetted in its frosted window. The lock clicked and the door opened, revealing the tall form of a man in the light of the street lamps.

"Oi, Kudo, you in here?" came a familiar voice in an Osakan dialect.

"Heiji-nichan!" Ayumi piped up, stepping out from her hiding spot, followed a moment later by Conan. Haibara maintained her out-of-sight position, along with the unconscious boys.

Heiji smirked at the girl and boy. "Ayumi-chan, it is good to see you again. Kudo, it has been a while." He said. "You guys seem to be making quite a bit of chaos. Is the rest of your crew hiding in here?"

Ayumi nodded. "Ai-chan is keeping an eye on the boys… they feinted." She said, blushing again.

Heiji raised an eyebrow and looked at his former Rival. "Feinted?"

"Don't look at me." Conan said. "It was Ayumi and Haibara's doing."

Heiji looked back at the girl, who blushed even harder. "Do I even want to know?" he asked.

"Probably not." Haibara said, from her Shadowy hiding spot.

"Y-yeah…" Ayumi agreed, trying to will her cheeks to stop burning. "Especially not after Kasuh…" She stopped mid-sentence, realizing that this was not the best topic.

Heiji fixed the girl with a glare. "After what?" he challenged.

Ayumi covered her mouth with both hands.

Conan arched an eyebrow. "Did something happen with Kasuha?"

Heiji turned his glare on the young detective. "Nothing that matters… She is back in Osaka, probably hanging out with her new girlfriend." Heiji huffed, trying to make a show of not caring and failing miserably.

"Girlfriend?!?" Conan asked, "When did that happen?"

"Well," Heiji said with irritated huff, "after the fall of Kaito KID, Kasuha met this girl named Aoko Nakamuri, the daughter of Inspector Nakamuri, who had been the lead on KID's case. The girl had apparently just gotten her heart broken, and Kasuha identified with her for some reason. They hung out a lot, until not too long ago, they shamelessly announced their new relationship. It is totally disgusting how much they hang on each other whenever I am around."

Conan sweatdropped. He wondered if this was not some elaborate ploy that both girls had come up with to snare their respective loves.

"Not that I care, of course." Heiji said, "Kasuha is her own person and can do whatever she wants." His tone said he was done talking about it.

Conan wondered if he had been that obsessed… Then he looked at the girl next to him, and the one in the shadows, and thought of the one that had kicked in his door twenty minutes ago, and sighed. Why did love have to be so complicated?

-----------------------------------------

Eri would have glared at her old friend if they had not been talking over the phone. "What do you mean, 'no', Yukiko?" she demanded, "You can't just let him wander around in Japan on his own."

The beautiful actress on the other end of the phone line laughed. "The US Government recognizes Conan as an emancipated minor, Eri-chan; I have no control of his actions, nor do I wish to." She said, "Besides, the whole thing is just stupid, with the restraining order and all that. If you and your husband had not been so stubborn, the two of them might have been engaged by now."

Eri almost growled. "I am not going to let Rina anywhere near that… that… Detective!" she said vehemently, "If you won't stop him from coming near her, I will. After all, I kept him from communicating with her all these years…"

"Honestly, I don't see how you can stop her." Yukiko said, her grin clearly audible through the phone. "You lack the resources, since from what I have heard, your daughter's martial arts skill rivals the best in the world, and you cannot hide the truth from her forever."

Eri cursed at her old friend and slammed the phone down, stalking away.

-----------------------------------

Yukiko heard her old friend slam the phone down, and then waited a moment.

"Did you hear enough, Rina-chan?" she asked conversationally, "You know, it is impolite to listen in on others' conversations, but given the circumstances, I can understand your curiosity."

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AN It has been a while since I updated this fiction, and I am not promising any additional updates anytime soon, though you never know.


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